Dreamer's Revelation
by avorialair
Summary: Rose and the Doctor have always found themselves flirting with each other, even when they don’t mean to. But when Rose admits to having dreams that have been disturbing her lately... [summary inside] [COMPLETE]
1. Part One

**_Summary_**_: Rose and the Doctor have always found themselves flirting with each other, even when they don't mean to. But when Rose admits to having dreams that have been disturbing her lately, they both have to face up to the fact that perhaps their friendship is more than either of them will admit._

**_Characters_**_: Rose Tyler, The Doctor (Ninth), The Doctor (Tenth), Jackie Tyler, Mickey Smith, mentions of Reinette Poisson (?) and Adam Mitchell._

**_Rating_**_: T, at most_

**_Words_**_: 12,233 (But the entire thing is in three parts, so think of it as 4,000 words apiece)_

**_Genre_**_: Romance/Humour. That's pretty much it, because I'm fed up of writing angsty short stories xD_

**_Spoilers_**_: Not too many. A couple possibly for "The Girl in the Fireplace" or "Parting of the Ways", but nothing immense. And, probably, nothing you didn't already know._

**_Setting_**_: Any time after "The Age of Steel"._

**_Disclaimer_**_: Doctor Who is nothing of mine. All the BBC's creation and ownership. Believe me, it's something I cry about on a daily basis. But it's probably just as well, because I couldn't come up with the fantastic storylines anyway. _

**_A/N: _**_This story started out as just a oneshot, because I suddenly had a plot bunny that bit on my leg and wouldn't let go until I did something with Rose and the Doctor flirting. However, it turned into something more serious, so blame my overactive mind._

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**Part One**

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Time in the TARDIS was usually worth about as much as a penny in a millionaire's hand. You slept when you were tired, ate when you were hungry, drank when you were thirsty and so on. Sometimes you read when the situation called for it as well, but that was often very rare as the work involved in finding a book in the library was just as pointless as looking for a specific, unique pair of shoes in the world's largest shoe store. In a foreign country.

So, consequently, it came as quite a shock to the Doctor when, lying on his back under the controls of the TARDIS, his legs splaying out in a most undignified position, he heard Rose's voice from the door. In fact, it shocked him so much that he jumped and whacked his head on the hard, unwelcoming metal.

"Ow," he said thickly, hauling himself out of the depths of his beloved time machine. Rubbing his head with his hand, he pointed his other, sonic screwdriver and all, scoldingly at Rose. "Don't sneak up on me like that. I thought you'd gone to bed."

She looked a little confused actually, he noticed. Glass of water in one hand, half-eaten toast in the other, loosely hanging mauve dressing gown, pink fluffy slippers, beige cotton pyjamas with numerous barn animals engraved surreptitiously on them and wild, frizzy blonde hair. It wasn't often that Rose Tyler's hair could out do his in the manic department, but he was definitely under some serious competition now. And this was the woman he'd chosen to explore the universe with? It was embarrassing, even for his standards; what _would_ the aliens and monsters of the world think if they could see his trusty companion now? But he knew of her hidden depths and knew not to judge a book by its cover, or a Rose by how she looked. In fact, he amended, never judge a Rose at all, because she'll only come out with some new and fascinating way to startle you, even when you think you've got her all figured out. She was good like that. And that, he remembered with a smile, was why he'd chosen her.

"And what was that you were saying about books?" the Doctor continued, standing up and placing the screwdriver on the surface of the controls, where it promptly proceeded to roll stubbornly onto the floor. Thankfully, it landed on his long, brown coat, which he'd torn off and thrown down to the floor before delving into the depths of the TARDIS.

"I asked if you had any on dreams," Rose replied with a yawn, careful not to spill her water. The Doctor thought she didn't look capable of walking, let alone trawling through the library to look for literature on the sub-conscious images of her brain.

He sauntered over to her with a hand in his pocket of his pinstripe suit. Idly, the Doctor plucked the toast from Rose's hand and took a bite, ignoring her incredulous look of indignation. He grinned boyishly before placing it delicately back between her fingers. He'd have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for (those meddling kids? No, no, that's something else entirely) the massive bite mark in the middle of it – the bit she had been saving whilst she nibbled around the crust of the toast.

"D'you want this over your head?" Rose threatened, waving her mug of water at him menacingly.

The Doctor couldn't help but grin, his eyes lighting up. "You should try the whole 'I'm-so-menacing-even-with-fluffy-bunny-slippers-and-smudged-makeup' thing on the next planet we visit. God knows I'm getting tired with getting you out of the messes you get yourself in to, and the reaction would be camera worthy." He grinned, flashing her a wink. "Oh, and that toast could do with a tad more butter, too."

Despite her warning, he hadn't actually expected to the contents of Rose's cup to spill over his head, especially with their height difference. So it took a while to register her smooth action of reaching up and tipping the mug; by which point, it was far too late, and the ice-cold liquid began to drip from his hair down his face and the back of his neck before seeping into his clothes. He blinked at Rose in disbelief as a trickle of the water began to make its way between his shoulder blades, making him shiver

Rose looked up at him pointedly, her tongue sticking just out of her mouth and her eyebrow raised in judgemental amusement. The Doctor continued to blink.

"Rose Tyler," he breathed after a moment, still continuing to watch her with his brown eyes. "In all my nine hundred years of being alive, I have never had the contents of my companion's drinking water spilled over my head. You are going to be so sorry."

"Brought it on yourself, Doctor," she shrieked with laughter, darting away from him as he made a grab for her. She bounded around the consol room, putting the controls between them. He had his eyes on her like a hungry wolf, attempting to circle around the TARDIS towards her. But every move he made, she mirrored, and it was pointless trying to catch her. But his clothes were beginning to stick to him, and his hair was dripping, and he was cold, and he was never one to admit defeat. He grinned at her rakishly.

"What did you want the book for?" he asked as he circled, keeping his eyes on her and his body tuned to her motions.

"What?" Rose asked, frowning, concentrating on not getting caught. The Doctor took a step to the left, as did Rose. Infuriating, she was. Clever, though.

"The dream book. You went to bed, then came out asking for a book on dreams. Scared the life out of me in the meantime, made me bang my head, thus giving me a headache and – if I'm not careful – a rather nasty bruise and _then_, as if that wasn't enough, you feed me dry toast and pour water all over me." The Doctor straightened up and pouted with almost-sincerity. "The thanks I get for showing you the universe!"

"I didn't _mean_ to pour water over you, Doctor," Rose beamed cheekily as he darted towards the right in the hope of trying to catch her. No such luck, as she was just as fast as him.

"No?" he questioned daringly, with a sly grin.

"Nah. My hand... slipped."

He rolled his eyes.

"I supposed you'll be telling me it was all my own fault next, as well."

"You ate my toast!"

"Well, if you _will_ wave it seductively under my nose like that, what can you expect?"

"A bit of self control?" Rose made another dart away from him as he lunged, pleased with herself that this was surprisingly easy. "And there was no 'waving', seductively or otherwise." She paused and flashed him a huge grin. "I'm a good girl!"

"Oh, yeah?" the Doctor asked, straightening up with a raised eyebrow and folding his arms. "Then how come I can see your bra?"

"_What_?" Rose cried, looking down to her attire instantly, her cheeks flushing. "Doctor, you can_not_ see my – "

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as the next thing she knew, the Doctor was ploughing into the side of her and knocking her backwards, sending her cup and her toast flying, and sandwiching her between the TARDIS wall and himself, his eyes gleaming like a mischievous schoolboy on a sugar high.

"Got you!" he beamed triumphantly, grinning down at her and seemingly unaware of the awkward position he had just put her in. Trust him, Rose thought half-bitterly, half-laughingly. "I can't believe you fell for that trick; and I thought you were supposed to be clever!"

Rose arched an eyebrow. "How many times have you said that to someone, Doctor?"

He cleared his throat but didn't answer; he didn't trust that he wouldn't get a slap in the face for it. Instead he grinned and began to shake his head erratically from side to side. At first, Rose wondered what he was doing: until she found herself being showered with tiny droplets of cold water from his hair. She closed her eyes and laughed as he shook himself off like a dog.

"You're unbelievable," she giggled as, seemingly satisfied with his retaliation, the Doctor released her from the wall and ran a hand through his damp – but not soaking – hair.

"I shall take that as a compliment," he grinned good-naturedly, giving Rose one of his award winning smiles. "And now that that's out of the way, would you kindly retrieve your toast from the TARDIS' floor? I don't want it to stain."

Rose burst into snorts of laughter. "If you hadn't've bloody rugby tackled me against a wall, I wouldn't have dropped it!" she complained with a laugh.

"Yes, well, if you hadn't have emptied the contents of your glass over my head, I wouldn't have had to tackle you."

"Be glad it wasn't a mug of tea! And you bit my toast first."

"You made me bang my head!"

"Well you... talk to yourself when you think no one's listening!"

The Doctor stopped and blinked at her for a moment.

"I what?" he asked incredulously.

"You heard me," Rose grinned. "You sing too. Badly."

"I do _not_!" he complained with a mock frown.

"Yeah you do. Really old stuff, from the sixties; my _Mum_ has better taste than you."

"It was a good era!"

"Says who?" Rose snorted. "Your oh-so-fabulous TARDIS?"

"Don't insult my TARDIS!" the Doctor whined defensively, folding his arms. "What's she ever done to you?"

"Trapped me here with you?" Rose smirked.

"At least _I_ don't snore," the Doctor said pointedly. Rose blinked at him for a moment, a little stunned.

"Neither do I," she replied after a while, though her voice was less than confident.

The Doctor let out a bark of laughter. "You're not the one who has to lie here coming up with ways to drown it out."

Rose opened her mouth in shock. Then she closed it again and swallowed hard, her eyes beginning to sting with raw tears.

"When I was in school once, I fell asleep during class. I woke up to find everyone laughing; they all said I snored like a pig. Even the teacher was laughing. It went round the whole school. They called me pig-girl for an absolute age..." Rose sniffed, her shoulders hunched. The Doctor felt the blood fall away from his face and guilt rise up in him like the Loch Ness Monster. What an absolute idiot he was. His face immediately softened and his jesting fell away. He walked over to the room and took Rose in his arms, wrapping himself protectively around her, as if he could protect her from the past in this simple way. He tucked her head into the crook of his neck and laid his chin in her hair. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "Kids can be the nastiest of creatures. I didn't mean what I said, you're not..."

He trailed off for a moment when he felt her shake in his arms. He closed his eyes bitterly for a moment, before pulling back and reaching to cup her chin in his hand.

"Don't cry," he began to say tentatively. But he never got that far. The look on Rose's face was enough to slay him. She was creasing with laughter.

"The – look – on – your – _face_," she panted with laughter, reaching up to hit him affectionately on the cheek. He dropped his arms away from her and took a step backwards, his mouth half open. Had she just manipulated him? Had she just pretended to cry, to make him feel like the lowest scum in the world – lower than pond scum – for a joke? Oh yes, he decided defiantly; Rose Tyler could definitely give as good as she got.

"Perhaps you should go to bed," the Doctor said stiffly, turning away from her and reaching for the keyboard of the TARDIS controls. The laughing stopped and an awkward silence hung in the air.

"What?" Rose asked cautiously.

"You're probably tired," the Doctor replied, not turning around. "I can find you a book on dreams once I'm finished up here. I'll drop it in later."

There was a pause of silence, in which the Doctor pretended to tap vehemently at his keyboard.

"Right," he heard Rose stutter behind him, shame clear in her voice. "I'll just... go then, shall I?"

He didn't answer. He heard the sound of her slippers trail along the grille of the TARDIS floor, but they paused for a moment.

"Good night Doctor," she said softly.

"Rose," he said back simply, nodding his head a little. Then he heard her walk away completely, and only then did he let out his sigh. When he finally did turn around, he saw that Rose had cleaned both her cup and toast away. She was good like that, after all, and the Doctor couldn't help but give a small, sad smile.


	2. Part Two

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**Part Two**

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Well, she had blown it, hadn't she? Rose sat dejectedly on her bed, a miserable expression on her face. She couldn't believe her stupidity. Messing about and teasing was one thing, but playing with emotions was entirely another. If the tables had been turned and he had pulled a similar trick on her, she would have been both mortified and enraged. She would have thrown a fit if the Doctor had betrayed her trust in him like that. Rose guessed that the Doctor's reaction was the equivalent He wasn't angry; just shocked and disappointed, and now she had pushed him even further away. Good one Rose, she thought bitterly.

She collapsed back into the covers of the bed, closing her eyes. How could she sleep now? She had made a fool out of him and shown herself to be nothing but an immature child. She wouldn't be surprised if he plonked her back in London, right here and now. After all, what use did the Doctor have for a whiney, manipulative human? She could almost feel the guilt tearing through her like the blades of a hundred angry knives.

Rose sat up. She couldn't just leave it like this. She knew that if she fell asleep and spoke to him in a few hours, the entire thing would remain unsaid and it would turn in to something he would hold against her for the rest of her life, whether he meant to or not. Well, she wasn't having that. She had enough faults that he could resent her for, without having to go and add to them.

She got up and ambled over to the door. Would he even want to talk to her? Yes of course he would, the reasonable part of Rose's brain said. He's the Doctor, and he'll always want to talk to you. But that smaller, more vicious part of her brain countered, you're being a blind fool if you think that anything will come of this; any of it. He's been looking for a chance to dump you home ever since that French tart, and now you've just gone and given him a reason. Rose winced at this; it was the part of her which had convinced her not to take any A-levels, she was sure of it, and she decided not to listen to it now. So, if slightly reluctantly, she reached for the handle and pulled open the door.

She practically jumped out of her skin to see the lean figure of the Doctor standing in the doorway.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, and instantly regretted the accusation that had snuck unbidden into her voice. The Doctor heard it too and though she could not see any anger– or, in fact, anything at all – on his face, she could hear it in his crisp, sharp reply.

"I haven't been standing here at all. I just thought you might appreciate this."

He held up a thick hardback book. It was light blue, and the title read, 'Dreams: their effects on you and the world around you.'

"Oh..." Rose replied dejectedly. Well, this apology was going swimmingly so far. He'd gone out of his way to find her a book, even after she had treated him like that. She was touched, and didn't deserve him.

The Doctor's face seemed to tighten. "Like I said, I thought you'd appreciate it. Obviously, you've changed your mind."

He turned to walk away just as Rose realised how ungrateful her answer had sounded. She mentally kicked herself. In an instant, she shot her hand out gently to his arm. He stilled and brought his head around to look at her. There was such disappointment in his eyes that it almost broke her hear.

"I'm sorry," she said earnestly, feeling her voice break. She couldn't bear the thought of him casting her out, like he had with Adam all those months ago. The Doctor sighed though his nose, blinking softly at her. But he didn't say anything. "I didn't mean any of it," Rose continued hurriedly, bringing her free hand up to wipe at her eyes. "I didn't think. I was being stupid. Thanks for the book; it'll be really nice to make sense of everything. But really, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be that stupid. I just thought – "

"Rose," the Doctor interrupted softly, and she stopped talking. It was just as well, because she would have rambled for hours. "You don't need to apologise. You didn't do anything."

Rose thought about this.

"I poured water over your head," she pointed out. The Doctor gave a weak smile and stepped towards her, letting his shoulder lean against the doorframe as he gazed down at her. He brought the book up and gently pressed it into her hands.

"And I ate your toast," he countered quietly, his eyes flicking over her. When Rose replied, her voice was soft, ashamed.

"I made you bang your head."

"I rugby tackled you."

"I said you had worse taste than my Mum."

"I said you snored."

"I pretended – " But the Doctor brought a finger quickly up to Rose's mouth to keep her from talking and shook his head. His eyes never left her. They were beginning to burn with such intensity that Rose wondered if it was possible to melt from just a look.

"Bygones, Rose," the Doctor said softly, letting his finger caress her mouth just an instant before pulling it away. He raised both his eyebrows knowingly. "I said you didn't need to apologise."

"Yeah, but – "

"No," he said firmly, reaching for her hand that didn't hold the book. "No buts. You didn't do anything wrong."

Rose frowned. "Then why did you act all weird afterwards?" she asked directly. He gave his lips a contemplative lick before he answered.

"I thought you were tired," he shrugged eventually.

Rose had travelled around the universe with him long enough to know when he was lying and when he was keeping things from her. But she also knew that if he didn't want to talk about it, pushing the matter didn't help. So, with a sigh, she let it go.

"All right," she said, taking her hand from his and bringing it up to keep her hair from her face. "Guess I'll go to sleep, then."

She made to shut the door, but realised she couldn't as the Doctor still stood in its frame. He motioned towards the book before she could ask.

"What's all that about?" he inquired thoughtfully, giving it a momentary glance. "I didn't think you were in to that sort of stuff."

"I'm not. I just... haven't been sleeping."

"The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Haven't been sleeping 'well', or...?"

"Haven't been sleeping," Rose confirmed, shaking her head. The Doctor let out a sigh and leaned back a little, crossing his arms.

"At least that explains it, then," he said, a little sadly. Not liking this conversation taking place in a doorway, Rose turned and made her way back to her bed, working her way around the edge and tucking it neatly up.

"Explains what?" she asked as she worked. Then she stopped and looked up at the Doctor, who was still eying her from the door. "And you can come in and help if all you're gonna do it stand there," she added, folding a corner of the quilt down.

The Doctor cleared his throat a little surprisedly, but uncrossed his arms and walked over nonetheless. He began, slowly and methodically, on the opposite side Rose was working on.

"It explains why you've been looking so tired," he continued, keeping his eyes down.

"Just what every girl wants to hear," Rose laughed, putting her hands on her hips. "I tell you Doctor, do you practice these smooth moves on every female alien you come across?"

The Doctor flashed her a grin, but one of the words she had said stung him more than was comfortable. He didn't think that Rose was alien to him, and hadn't in a very long time. He had gotten used to her little, personal, unique ways and they were even starting to rub off on him. But was that how she saw him? Just another alien? The notion hurt. He would have told her that he didn't think she was an alien and hoped she didn't think of him as one – he certainly wasn't harbouring any secret tentacles, extra limbs or green, slimy skin. But he couldn't manage to form the words, so he stayed silent in his thoughts instead.

"Doctor...?" Rose asked cautiously. He hadn't noticed, but she had walked around the bed to join him on his side and was looking worriedly up into his face.

"Yes Rose?" he asked with a grin, returning back to tuck her quilt under her mattress. But she stretched out a hand to his gently and took his large, thick fingers away from the duvet and into her own. He looked at her, but his face was impossible to read.

"You were daydreaming," Rose said softly, looking up at him.

"What?"

"Staring off in to space."

"Yeah," he beamed. "I do that sometimes. Now, tell me, what about these dreams you've been having?"

He sat down on the bed and found the mattress sinking below him. Obviously the TARDIS had adjusted Rose's mattress to suit her weight and wasn't used to his bulk. He looked up at her with sincerity on his face, which was difficult to do considering he was now half her height. Rose hid a smile as she wondered at how sweet he looked.

"What _about_ them?" she asked as he tapped the bed next to him. She sat and, unlike him, didn't disappear into the folds of the mattress. He looked around himself with a frown on his face, as if wondering where the rest of him had gone.

"You must be really light to have this thing support you," he said, still looking quite ridiculous. "How much do you weigh?"

Rose gaped at him. "You can't ask me that!"

The Doctor looked at her and pouted. "Why not? We've been travelling with each other for a good lot of months now, and you won't even tell me how much you weigh? Suppose I need it to determine the gravity reactions of our next planet?"

Rose felt herself blushing. This was definitely not the conversation she had imagined having with the Doctor on her bed. Not that she ever imagined the Doctor on her bed. Often. Her cheeks flushed more and she bit her lips. The Doctor noticed and a smile began to play on his mouth like an excited child in a park.

"What are you hiding from me, Rose Tyler?" he asked cheekily, reaching for her hand. "I have this wonderful little skill. Telepathy. It can tell me if you won't."

Rose didn't even react to the threat and let him trace his fingers across the palm of her hand, ignoring the shivers that went up her arm.

"You wouldn't do that, though, Doctor," she smiled at him. The Doctor brought his head up and gave her a pleased grin. Sometimes it startled him as to how well she knew him.

"No, I wouldn't," he assured; just to confirm that she was right. "But maybe one of these days, you'll let me, though. I've always wondered what's in that mind of yours." He refrained from adding 'ever since Reinette' on the end. It just wouldn't be tactful, especially as he wasn't quite sure if Rose had forgiven him for that. He thought she had, but with Rose, sometimes it was difficult to tell.

"Maybe," she replied thoughtfully as he scooped her hand in between his own and brought it there to rest. His soft, brown eyes were gazing at her and his breathing was slow.

"What have you been dreaming about?" he asked, though it sounded more like he was speaking to himself rather than Rose. His eyes were now grazing over all the features of her face before coming back to the rest on her eyes again.

"It's just... dream stuff," Rose replied carefully. She wasn't sure if she wanted the Doctor knowing what she was dreaming; she wasn't even sure what she was dreaming herself.

"Dream stuff?" the Doctor queried with a raised eyebrow. "Rose, dream stuff doesn't keep you awake."

"I just... it's..." She gave up with a sigh, unable to find the words. The Doctor gave her hand a squeeze and she looked at him.

"Tell me," he said quietly, his eyes boring into hers. She wished he wouldn't give her that look. It was the look that made her tell him absolutely anything in the world.

"I dream of you," she admitted reluctantly. The Doctor swallowed and waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"Right," he said slowly, shifting closer to her on the bed. Was it just him, or did she flinch? "And what actually happens?"

Rose gave a small, nervous cough, got up off the bed and started pacing, not once looking him in the eye. The Doctor, taking the hint, stayed sitting.

"Well first it's me and I'm back at home with Mickey and my Mum, and it's Christmas, or my birthday, or something. Some kind of holiday. And there's all the family and this huge meal all laid out on the table. I'm sitting at the end, surrounded by everyone I know, only I feel sorta lonely and cold. Like I shouldn't really be there, y'know? Like they're not really my family. Is this too much? Am I missing the important bits?" she added hurriedly on the end.

The Doctor waved a hand and shook his head.

"No, you're doing brilliantly. Go on."

"R-right," Rose stuttered. She took in a breath before she continued. "Anyway, so I'm there with everyone and there's all this noise as they're talking and laughing, and I'm not joining in with any of it. Then all of a sudden, I get up and I say I have to go because there's something I gotta do with someone who's waiting for me. I get up and run to my front door, and when I pull it open, I'm standing in the TARDIS looking out of the doors into space. It's beautiful; there's all these stars and planets everywhere, and then I feel like I'm burning 'cause I can feel them all. Every single one and what it means and why it's there and how I can help. Does this make sense?"

But the Doctor wasn't looking at her. He was staring at the floor while he muttered something. "All that is... all that was... all that could ever be."

"What?" Rose asked quietly. He seemed to jump and looked back up at her, a smile on his face.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "What happens next?"

"Well, then I see this one planet. Huge thing, sorta... grey... and it looks empty. But it's got this beautiful... I dunno... _feel_ about, it I guess. I can feel it more than the other stars and planets and it's sad and happy and laughing and crying and loving and hating and it's... everything. Like every emotion I've ever felt all bundled into one thing, and then I'm crying and laughing at the same time because it's just so amazing. Feels like I belong there, sort of. And then I stand there and watch and the planet explodes, just like that. Bright red sparks and white lights as it stops existing. I scream as it all comes towards me, but the TARDIS protects me as I watch. I close my eyes 'cause it's almost as if I can feel it exploding and ripping itself apart, and it hurts and I'm still screaming. Then I open my eyes and it's all hazy and there's just this empty... space... that feels worse than the screaming. It's like this entire thing's just died and I've just sat there and watched it happen without being able to help, even though I could. And then I feel hollow and more alone than I ever remembered feeling before, like someone's just ripped a part of my soul away."

Rose was panting a little now, and speaking hurriedly. It was as if she were reliving the dream, the Doctor realised. Though it didn't sound much like a dream to him; you couldn't feel things like that in dreams. Or, at the very least, you weren't supposed to.

Rose looked at him and, even though it cut him to see tears in her eyes, he didn't comfort her; he needed to hear if there was more. He held his hands between his knees as he looked gravely up at her.

"There's more, isn't there?" he asked gently. She gave him a small nod and closed her eyes before replying.

"Yeah, there's more," she breathed, reaching a hand to her hair. "I'm standing there watching this nothingness that used to be this planet. And then there's this voice behind me and a hand on my shoulder and it's you standing there. But it's not you, it's how you used to be. Leather jacket and all..."

She motioned, not being able to find the word, so the Doctor suggested something. "Northern?"

Rose grinned weakly, her tears beginning to just about spill over her lids. "Yeah," she nodded, almost happily. "Northern. Anyway, so it's him, yeah? And he's standing there and he – you – look so sad. I've never seen him look like that before. You. He. You know what I mean. Then he reaches up and brushes my hair away and says, 'You couldn't have stopped it Rose. Even I couldn't stop it. And I'm the last Time Lord'. Then he grins at me in that stupid, stupid grin and I'm left feeling worse, 'cause I know what he means. About being the last and not able to stop anything. But then he puts his hands on my shoulders and lowers his head to look at me. 'Rose,' he says, and it feels like he's trying not to cry. 'You have to let go. You can't come back here and see this. I want you to come with me away from this and be with me always. I'll protect you forever if you'll let me'. And then he... he kinda leans in and..."

Rose brought her hands to her face, the tears falling freely now. The Doctor couldn't stand it. He stood up and pulled her into his chest, letting his hands caress her soothingly. He closed his eyes as he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and feeling her warmth against him. Hell of a dream, he thought bitterly as she cried in his arms.

After a moment or two, Rose sniffed and pulled back slightly to look the Doctor in the face. She made a motion with her hand and the Doctor half frowned.

"There's more?" he asked, astonished.

"Sort of," Rose shrugged. She let him cup her cheek affectionately as she continued. "He leans in to kiss me, right? And then I wake up with a jump and I sit up, not quite sure what I'm feeling. And then I look and he's just standing there. He's there in my room with me, standing over me and smiling. Then he reaches for my face and sort of... kisses me on the cheek... and then when I open my eyes, he's gone again; but I can still feel his hand on my cheek, like he was really there. And I know I'm awake, too, because the world's all different. But I'm not sure if he's real, or if he's not, or if I'm..."

The Doctor nodded knowingly, brushing Rose's tears away with his thumb. He gave her a small smile.

"You're not... angry, are you Doctor?" Rose asked through choked tears. He gave her such a forgiving, sorrowful look that she almost wished she hadn't asked.

"Angry?" he asked disbelievingly. "Rose, I could never be angry. I'm touched actually."

She frowned at him. "Why?"

"Because!" he laughed, shaking his head a little. "Because you care about me so much. Do you know the planet you see in your dream, Rose?"

She thought about it for a minute, somewhat comforted by the beating of his hearts. Finally, she looked up into his face with wonder.

"S'Gallifrey," she mumbled eventually, with a sniff. The Doctor beamed.

"Probably," he replied softly, bringing his hand from Rose's cheek and pulling her into an embrace. "Or your version of it, at least. You gave up your life at home because you thought it wasn't enough, and now you've got all this Time Lord stuff mixed up in you. It's probably just your brain trying to deal with all the information. How long has this been going on?"

Rose pulled away from him and took a breath.

"It hasn't been so... real... for long. But I first started dreaming after you..."

She motioned to him, and the Doctor knew exactly what she was talking about. "Since I regenerated," he whispered. Rose nodded silently, biting back a further wave of tears.

"Oh, Rose," he murmured, not wanting to let her go. "You should have told me. I had no idea you felt this way."

"I just don't understand," she said sadly, finally pulling away from his comforting hug and sitting back on the bed again. "I've had dreams before. But this is... different."

The Doctor's nose wrinkled slightly as he thought. "What you describe about the planets and the stars, Rose. That's what I feel, all the time. I'm not going to say I'm not surprised that you say you can feel it, especially in your dreams." He looked down at her intently for a moment, before crouching in front of her and reaching for her fingers. "Rose, do you remember anything about the time vortex?" he asked gently.

She looked into his serene face and shook her head.

"Just all this... warmth. Like I wasn't cold any more. That's about it."

He nodded his head slowly.

"Right. Well, Rose, all I can say is that you're probably suffering the after effects of taking the Heart of the TARDIS into you. It was a while ago now, and on a conscious level you've gotten over my change and the change it's had on your life. But sub-consciously, you probably have yet to deal with it, so your brain is manifesting this dream for you until you do. It's sort of using all your past feelings and memories and combining them together to try and get through it. And as for seeing me – the old me – after you've woken up, that's just probably the TARDIS' effect on your sleeping patterns. You're able to project, just for a second, what you've been dreaming about into the world around you. But it's gone too quickly to make much difference."

"Okay..." Rose said slowly, not quite understanding. "So what does it mean?"

The Doctor frowned a little and gave her hands a light squeeze.

"Humans need to sleep, Rose. They need to dream to work through their issues. If you're having this recurring dream, getting more and intimate every time you dream it and it's now got the point that it's keeping you from sleeping... well, you need to work through it. You have to figure out what it means."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

He coughed, a little embarrassedly. "You have to see the dream through to the end. From what I can gather, you always wake up before I go to kiss you. To get through to the message of your dream, you're going to have to see it through to the end."

Rose's eyes widened as she looked at him. "I am _not_ having dream sex with you," she said bluntly. The Doctor couldn't help bursting out laughing and shaking his head, but giving her hands a squeeze as well.

"It always comes down to sex with humans, doesn't it?" he laughed and watched as Rose blushed. He got up and sat next to her on the bed, his hands still clasped around hers. "I'm not asking you to do anything like that. I'm just asking you to see where it leads afterwards."

Rose raised her eyebrows, and the Doctor laughed again.

"I know it sounds like you should go off and start shagging like there's no tomorrow, but honestly Rose, that's not what'll happen. More likely than not, it's just your brain finding a visual output for something much deeper; and you need to get to the bottom of it and see the dream through for it to finally work itself out in your head."

"And what if you're wrong?" Rose questioned pointedly. The Doctor couldn't hide his smirk, but made sure it was gone when he answered.

"I'm not," he assured. "Trust me: I don't think this dream is tying to tell you that there's some long lost desire that you can't control. It's something else."

Rose heaved a sigh. "None of my other recurring dreams have stopped me from sleeping. They're just dreams, yeah? They don't really mean anything."

"Well, none of your other dreams are being affected by the remains of the time vortex either. It makes it that little bit more real, which means you really do have to deal with it."

"Right..." Rose said slowly, glancing to the Doctor. He smiled. "So, how am I supposed to dream it, then? I always wake up beforehand, and it's not like I can control that."

The Doctor paused, thinking about this.

"I could inject you with a drug from the med lab," the Doctor said slowly, passing a thumb carefully over her hand. "It will instigate induced sleep that you'll be in total control of. You can wake up whenever you like. And I'll be by you while you sleep too, just in case."

Rose gave him a harsh frown. "Just in case _what_?"

He coughed and cleared his throat. "Well, sometimes it's difficult to... wake up. And sometimes you don't even want to. Imagine the best dream you've ever had, Rose, and then imagine the temptation to stay there forever. And the _ability_ to stay there forever as well; to spend the rest of your life in your dream without ever having to face the unpleasantries of the real world."

"So you're gonna be there to make sure I don't pick dreams over reality?"

"Spot on," he grinned. "I'll also be there to wake you up in case you come across something that won't _let_ you wake up. Don't worry; it's perfectly safe if I'm there. The rest is up to you."

Rose thought for a little, staring ahead of her. She wanted to get to the bottom of whatever she was dreaming, because it was having a definite effect in how she felt about the Doctor in front of her. More and more lately, she had found her mind wandering back to the dream and what it might mean, even when he was talking to her. She couldn't let it keep going like that.

"Okay," she agreed at last, standing up. The Doctor stood with her and squeezed his hand around hers, their fingers linking. He gazed down at her softly.

"I'd say you don't have to do this," he almost laughed, his eyes gently on hers. "But unless you want to end up going insane, you sort of do."

Rose grinned.

"I don't much fancy ending up insane," she laughed. "And don't say it's an improvement, either."

He beamed at her echoing words that hadn't been spoken in a long while, and began to lead her out of her room and down the corridors of the TARDIS. They walked in silence, their footsteps making definite noises in the quiet corridors. Eventually, the Doctor found the door to the medical lab and pushed it open, offering Rose the way. She smiled at him and stepped into the whiteness. She didn't make much fuss as the Doctor helped her on to one of the beds and went in search of a needle with the sleep-drug in it.

He told her to lie down and look away, and also that it might hurt a bit. A little uncomfortable with having a metal needle jabbed into her skin that would inject her with something she may not wake up from, it wasn't surprising when she let out a small gasp as she felt the cold needle against her flesh. But the Doctor hesitated for a moment before injecting her.

"Rose," he said softly from her side, and she turned her head to look at him. He retracted his hand slightly and reached to pull her into a sitting position. Ever so slowly, he reached to cup her chin in his hand, his fingers resting behind her ears and her thumb caressing her lips.

"You're perfectly safe," he continued quietly and then, surprising her a little, he leant forwards slowly and touched her lips chastely with his own. She would barely have called it a kiss, except for the way her heart fluttered at his soft caress. He pulled back, letting his hand fall away; but he was smiling.

"Come back to me," he whispered softly, before indicating the needle again. Rose blinked and nodded and turned away. She felt his cool hand against the top of her arm and then, slowly, the needle pressing into her muscle. It didn't hurt as much as she thought it would and the next thing she knew, she was slipping away into the darkness of dreams. 


	3. Part Three

**

* * *

Part Three

* * *

**

It was loud. That was her first impression. Loud and bright. Rose opened her eyes and blinked, almost expecting to be lying in the med lab again. But she wasn't. She standing in her sitting room surrounded by her family. There were decorations up all over the place, though she found when she went to look at them that they blurred together, making it impossible to tell the celebration. She saw her cousins and her young nieces and nephews as well as her Mum and her Mums' friends, and her old friends from when she younger. Mickey had his arm around her and was chatting animatedly with her grandfather. There was such noise all over the place that she could barely drown it out, and she certainly couldn't hear the separate voices.

"Rose!" someone squealed with glee over the din. Rose looked to see her mother coming towards her. "Glad you could make it! We've missed you all so much. Have you been having fun, travelling with Mickey?"

"I... uh..." Rose stumbled, taking in the image of her happy, healthy, bouncy mother.

"Come on, come on, come and sit down and tell me all about it."

She took Rose by the arm and pulled her out of Mickey's grip, leading her into the dining room where a number of guests had already sat down.

"Look everyone!" Jackie beamed, putting an arm around her daughter's waist. "Rose has come back!"

She looked half-heartedly around the room and was almost slightly sickened to see all of the faces beaming out her. Every single one was smiling and raising a glass to toast in her name, even the little four and five year old nieces and nephews, sitting at a smaller table in the corner. All Rose knew was how much she didn't want to be here and how empty she felt at being away from something. Something or someone was missing from her life and though she couldn't quite put her finger on it, she knew that they weren't here.

Rose let herself be led to a spare seat at the table – right on the end – so that everyone could look at her and beam some more.

"How's the travelling going?" someone she didn't recognise asked.

"Yes, Rose, tell us; how is Mickey coping with all your bossings?"

"Is he keeping you safe?"

"Are you enjoying where you've been going? It's been a good few months now since we saw you last."

"Jackie says you got sick on the last place you went. She said Mickey had to spend three days hunting for a doctor in a remote little village. Is that true?"

Doctor... the word somehow made her feel warm and complete, as if it were a message to her that she shouldn't be here. A reminder. She couldn't take it any more. Rose stood up abruptly, not caring that she knocked her wine glass over in the process.

"I... gotta go," she said at last, glancing to all the faces – both familiar and unfamiliar – around the table. "There's somewhere I gotta be... something I gotta be doing."

"What?"

"Rose, you've only just got here!"

"Yeah, Rose; we haven't seen you in so long. We miss you. Stay!"

"Stay! Stay! Stay!" the children chanted, and Rose could feel one pulling at her sleeve. A heavy hand rested on her shoulder and she looked into the face of an elderly woman.

"You should stay, Rose. The family has never needed you this much. What can that world out there offer you? Not the comfort and warmth that we can."

Rose hesitated. She knew she didn't belong here, but there was something so tempting about settling here. It was safe and warm, and out in the world she was cold and alone. Was she? For some reason, the word Doctor echoed around her mind again.

"I... can't," Rose said at last, fighting out of the grips and wading through her family towards the front door. "I just can't. Mickey will tell you all about it. But I gotta go."

And with that, she sprinted to the front door and flung it open, panting as she did so.

I-------------------------------------------------------------------------I

The Doctor pulled a chair to Rose's bed. It was eerie watching her lie there still, her body unmoving. The only thing that soothed him was the fact that her chest was rising and falling in a comforting rhythm. He took some time to sit and watch her, a pleasant smile on his face. His hand was fastened around hers, his thumb stoking the top of her hand gently. He knew she couldn't feel him where she had gone. But it was more for his benefit than hers.

He watched as the expression on her face changed. It seemed rather confused and hurt and she twitched as she slept. The Doctor knew the dangers of waking her up before her time, so merely took in a large breath as he watched her. He couldn't believe how difficult this was. She hadn't been asleep that long; half an hour, maybe? He was well aware that the time it took to dream things was often a lot shorter than what went on in the real world. He just hoped that Rose was strong enough to cope with whatever her subconscious threw at her.

The mind was a dangerous place. It could play on her darkest fears and her deepest desires. He hoped that she wouldn't be tempted to stay. That she would make her way back to him on his own, without his encouragement. He trusted her and had faith in her so, as the Doctor watched, he let his smile grow. Rose was strong, he knew; and he was sure that she was strong enough to turn down even the most sinister offer her heart.

I-------------------------------------------------------------------------I

What Rose saw beyond her front door took her breath away. Suddenly, she was not standing in her house, and all the noise of the party fell away. There was complete silence as she looked out ahead of her. Was this... space? It certainly looked like it. There were stars, millions and billions of them, all spread out before her. Planets she could never name all the colours of the rainbow, and then some. Comets hurtled through the atmospheres as she gazed around in wonder at what she saw. There were so many splashes of colour as well as a deep emptiness beyond it all.

But then something else happened. She felt something pull on the strings of her heart like a harp. A great pain and sorrow, mingled with joy and happiness. Her blood pumped with a rage she felt flare up from nowhere. He heart broke in a sudden shattering moment and she doubled down, panting for breath. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, with happiness, with misery. She felt giddy with relief but betrayed, as if one of her best friends had just stabbed her in the back – literally and metaphorically. She felt it all, and Rose couldn't help the strangled scream that escaped her lips. So much pain and suffering, yet so much joy and acceptance. There was just so much... too much.

And then she saw it. Close to her, large and looming, there was a planet she had never laid eyes on. It was huge and swirling with a deep grey atmosphere. She knew that it was there all this emotion she felt had come from, at least partly. And then, while she was watching, it began to expand. It was as if Rose was watching the entire thing in slow motion. It began to expand and contract quickly, growing in colour and heat. Eventually, not being able to take it, Rose felt herself scream; and with it, the planet shattered into several million pieces, rocketing out in all directions as it was taken by a huge explosion. Blood red sparks sprayed out towards her, closely followed by blinding, white light. She wondered how she was so safe when the planet was dying. She collapsed to the floor, a scream ringing in her ears; whether it was hers or not, she couldn't tell. She felt as though her body were being ripped apart in all directions, held together merely by will power.

She opened her eyes. There was a big, gaping hole where the planet had been. And she felt the hole inside herself, as though someone had just pulled a piece of her heart out of her. She gasped for breath, hardly being able to believe it. Her safety net had gone. It was all gone, just like that, in the blink of an eye. She could have saved it, could have done something to stop the destruction of that planet. She was racked with guilt and grief, her body not being able to take it. She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to shake the terrible feelings away. But it was as if they were coming from inside her, stuck to her for eternity.

Rose almost didn't hear it when someone called her name. But something had definitely broken through her barrier of emotion and she turned, slowly, to look behind her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and Rose stood up to look into the eyes of a man. He was tall and had smooth, defined features. His cheeks were set well in his face, as was a prominent nose. His close-cropped dark hair made his bright blue eyes all the more sharp and clear and his thin mouth was pulled at the corners into a smile. He was wearing an old leather jacket with a navy blue v-neck jumper, as well as well fitting black trousers. He blinked back at her silently, the grip on her shoulder tightening. Rose felt oddly comforted by the man.

"Rosy Tyler," he said in a soft voice that could make her melt. He reached his second hand to brush at the hair on her face, and Rose was surprised when she didn't stop him. Something in her trusted him with her life. He smiled at her gently, before his eyes flashed at her earnestly. "You couldn't have stopped it Rose. Even I couldn't stop it. And I'm the last Time Lord."

As he stood there with her, the man laughed bitterly before letting his face fall into a large grin. His entire face lit up as his grin spread all the way to his gentle eyes. He even gave her a courteous wink. He blinked at her softly, the hand on her hair now moving to cup her face gently. Then his hand slid to her shoulder and she found he was looking at her, really looking at her, with all the intensity in the world. Rose couldn't have looked away even if she'd wanted to.

"Rose," he said gently yet sternly. "You have to let go. You can't come back here and see this. You're not ready for it."

His left hand slid to her cheek again, while his right pulled her a little closer to him. Rose couldn't stop her hearts from racing: who was this stranger? He certainly seemed to know who she was. "I want you to come away with me," he said softly, his blue eyes boring into hers. "Come away from this and be with me always. I'll protect you forever. If you'll let me."

Rose's eyes darted over his face and came to a rest on his lips. She felt her breath catch as she realised he noticed him looking. Slowly his hand slid down her spine and rested in the small of her back, while the hand on her cheek tightened slightly. Rose felt her entire body tingle at his simple touch and knew, right then, that she wanted him to start kissing her and never ever stop.

His eyes adopted a husky look in them as he finally took a last step towards her and brought his lips to hers, with as much gentleness as Rose had ever felt. He wasn't forceful at all, not in the slightest; she felt completely at ease with him. Her lips tingled with the sheer touch of his lips on hers and all of a sudden she gasped as memories started to fly back to her. At first they were only strands, like words... Space... TARDIS... Doctor... but eventually, as she began to kiss him back, she felt everything at once. She pulled back, and was a little relieved when he didn't push it.

"Doctor?" Rose asked timidly. She remembered everything. This was a dream, she remembered, and the man in front of her was only the past Doctor. He wasn't the Doctor waiting in the medical lab for her to wake up; the Doctor whose kiss she could still taste on her lips.

The Doctor in front of her grinned.

"Welcome back," he said softly but cheerily, his voice light. "I was wondering when you would recognise me."

Rose turned back to look at the TARDIS door, her heart filling with sorrow.

"I can't believe that – "

But she was cut off when the Doctor slid his hand to hers, entwining their fingers.

"You couldn't have done anything," he said again. "It was meant to happen. It was how I met you," he grinned. She looked at him and couldn't help but smile back. Oh, God, he was really here. He was alive and in front of her and... and she was kissing him again.

Rose had flung her arms around his neck, intending to give him a hug; but somehow, her lips had found his again and now she was kissing him. His hands rested on her hips, pulling her close to him, as he devoured her with his mouth. Gently at first, but soon Rose couldn't take it and parted his mouth with her own. She felt his hand rise to the back of her head as he kissed her and she pulled every strand of him in that she could. His past, his future, his feelings – all of it. His tongue began to dance tentatively around hers and every inch of her body tingled with a sense she didn't even know she had. His kiss was soft yet demanding, passionate yet gentle; and though he knew exactly what he was doing – and was bloody good at it too – Rose was always sure that if she wanted to break away at him at any point, he wouldn't have stopped her.

Eventually, their need for oxygen overcame them and they broke apart, panting. The Doctor's fingers caressed the back of Rose's neck, making her shiver. His other hand pulled her against him and he grinned at her, his lips reaching softly for her cheek. She slipped her arms over his torso to link behind his neck and she could feel him smile as he kissed her flesh.

"I miss you," Rose found herself crying into his neck, and the Doctor's kisses stopped. Instead, he slipped his arms around her further and pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head gently.

"I know," he said, his fingers tracing small, delicate fingers through the clothes on her back. "And I'm sorry I made you wait so long."

"Worth it, though," Rose smiled, breathing in his scent. She had longed for him for so long that she almost couldn't believe that it was happening. Until she pulled back and felt the Doctor kissing her again, and after that, she was swallowed up by his sensuous attack on her body.

I-------------------------------------------------------------------------I

All right, so now he was getting a little worried. The Doctor had sat by Rose for the last hour and a half, never even letting his eyes roam anywhere else but her. Not that he wanted to look at anything else. Her face had been contorted with unreadable emotion and it had almost broken her hearts to see her in so much pain. Yet, at the pit of it, he saw that she was happy, too, and that she was coping. Then her face had started smiling and her body twitching, and after a while, she had mumbled his name.

The Doctor had stood, all too ready to greet her when she woke up; but then he realised she must have been talking to the dream him, and was more than a little crestfallen. He just hoped that she had more sense than to give in to temptation. All she was supposed to do was follow on with what her dream was leading her, not instigating anything that wasn't supposed to happen. But she was strong, he reminded himself; and he would know when she needed him. So, with his hand still linked around hers, he let out a sigh and sat back down.

I-------------------------------------------------------------------------I

Rose broke apart from the Doctor, her hands over his shoulders underneath his jacket. She panted and blinked her eyes open, not quite sure what had made her stop. She didn't want to stop. Every part of her body called for him and now she had started, she just couldn't bear to stop.

"Rose?" the Doctor asked questioningly, one hand behind her head the other resting on her back underneath her top. She bit her lip as she looked at him, feeling the comforting feel of his cold hand on her skin. She took in a breath and blinked at him.

He gave a small smile, his blue eyes staring kindly back at her.

"I can't," Rose said at last, hating herself for doing it. She could, she really really could. But it wasn't right, and she wouldn't let herself go in further than she already had. His shoulders dipped slightly as he let out a sigh, but he nodded and dropped his hands away from her.

"Neither can I," he said earnestly, giving her a sad smile. Rose frowned at him, slipping her hands away from his shoulders.

"What do you mean?"

He gave a small laugh. "I love you too much to hurt you like that."

Rose blinked at him." So you mean... you wouldn't have... if we'd have..."

The Doctor reached to take her hands in his, swinging them lightly. "No, I would have. If you'd have wanted me to."

"I don't understand."

He leant towards her casually, his forehead knocking against hers. "Good," he said softly. "Then my work here is done. Close your eyes, Rose."

She felt the grip on her hands tighten.

"I don't want to lose you," she replied quietly, and found her voice broken with tears. "You were so..."

The Doctor stood back and looked down at his favourite little ape. He grinned at her.

"I still am so," he said, smiling. "But everything has its time, Rose. You know that. And even when Gallifrey died, I'm still here, aren't I? Proof."

"Of what?" she sniffed, looking up into the face of the man she had once loved. The man she would gladly die for.

"That it's not really the end. This part of me will always be alive in you, but you can't let it control you. Gone but not forgotten, that sort of thing."

"Right," Rose laughed, astounded by his cryptic nature, even now. She shook her head and smiled with him, the tears in her eyes becoming more under her control. "And what about the new you?"

"What _about_ me?"

"Well, I... he's still you, I know. But he's just..." Rose trailed off, still unable to find any words suitable for describing her new Doctor. In fact, finding words to describe him at all was a challenge. Nothing did him justice.

"Love him for who he is, Rose," the Doctor said wisely, the grip on her hands tightening. "And let him love you back. He wants to, you know."

Rose's eyes widened, and she couldn't stop herself from grinning.

"How d'you know?"

He winked at her, but didn't answer. Instead, he leant his head forward until their foreheads touched again. His breath covered her entire face and she thought for a second that he was going to kiss her again. But he didn't.

"Time for me to go, Rose," he said softly, smiling. "Now close your eyes."

She obeyed, despite the fear that he would be gone when she opened them. She felt the breath on her face quicken slightly and, after a moment, opened her eyes again. And there, in front of her, stood her Doctor. Pinstripe suit, dark eyes and a grin on his face. She pulled back a little, but didn't take her hands from his.

"Hello," he said softly with glee. She grinned at him.

"Knew you couldn't resist staying out of my head," she teased. Then she took in a breath and looked up into his smooth face. "Is this it, then? Is this the end? The answer?"

He shook his head and pulled her into a hug, his arms circling her like he never wanted to let her go.

"Hardly," he almost snorted with a grin. "This, my dear Rose, is just the beginning. I've got so much to show you and teach you. But first, you're going to have to wake up, because it's very difficult trying to teach someone the ways of the universe while they're asleep."

Rose laughed and kept on laughing as she closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the Doctor's body spread through her. She shook her head against him and, with her eyes closed, said, "You never told me how I was supposed to wake up."

Rose felt a hand on tighten on hers. Her other, she realised was resting somewhere on her other side.

"That's because I know you'd be clever enough to figure it out."

Rose jumped and sat up, and found herself in the medical lab, the Doctor's hand clasped firmly around her own. She swung her head to look at him and gave him the most amazing grin in the world. He didn't have time to escape as she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his neck. He laughed and reached down to complete the hug, glad that she had woken up by herself. It meant she preferred the real world to her dream world; and that was pretty bloody flattering.

"Did you find it then?" he questioned at last, setting her down on the floor again, Rose pulled her head back, but the Doctor was strangely comforted when she didn't let go of his neck.

"I'm not really sure," Rose shrugged. "I don't really think I figured anything out. But I don't feel as confused now as I used to. I don't have that sort of... feeling in my head, like everything's wrong. It's all right now."

"Oh, good," the Doctor replied chirpily. "I'd hate to feel that I was disappointing you in some way."

Rose shook her head, and pulled herself to hug him again. "You could never disappoint me Doctor. Not now, not ever." She paused for a minute, enjoying the feel of his arms around her, before she added cheekily, "Not even in my dreams..."

The Doctor's head snapped back and he cocked an eyebrow, his grip on her loosening slightly.

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?" he asked mock incredulously.

She grinned up at him, her thumb playing with the hair that fell at the back of his neck. Definitely better with hair, she decided.

"Nothing," she sang innocently. He gave her a look that told her didn't quite believe her. Rose let her arms fall away from him and they released each other. She gave him a grin and then set off for the lab door. At the last instant, however, she turned back, and was pleased to see the Doctor watching her with the most confused look she had ever seen.

"By the way," Rose added with a smirk, not being able to help herself. "It's just as well nothing 'happened' between us; you're a rubbish kisser anyway."

His mouth actually fell. About an inch and a half, and his face dropped. Rose burst out laughing, her face creasing with her amusement.

"I've never had any complaints in that department before, I'll have you know," the Doctor defended, waggling a finger at his companion. Her grin broadened. "Besides, you don't have anything to go on. It's not like I was there to defend myself. People in dreams are usually just a reflection on different parts of us, so if I was a bad kisser, it was probably some portrayal of yourself rather than anything to do with me."

He finished with a satisfied nod and placed his hands on his hips. Rose couldn't help but take him off his high horse.

"Who said I was talking about the dream?" she winked.

If possible, his face fell more. "You, my girl," he said, with an amused frown, "are treading on some dangerous grounds. You don't want to go annoying the pilot; I can still take you to that planet of cannibals. They have the _worst_ dress sense."

"Can't be any worse than yours, Doctor," Rose laughed, leaning idly against the door of the lab.

"If I weren't such a gentleman, you'd be up for a slap in the mouth, Miss Tyler," he teased. Rose's eyes widened.

"Don't let my Mum catch you speaking like that. She'd more than make you pay for it."

The Doctor cringed, the infectious grin spreading still further.

"I deal with Daleks, Slitheen and Cybermen on a daily basis, yet the thought of your mother on a revenge trip is more than enough to scare me."

"Good," Rose grinned, pleased. "Better start treating me right, then."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and began to wander over to her.

"Me? I always treat you right," he replied with a smile. Rose looked at the floor for a moment, a slight frown flickering over her face. When she looked up again, the Doctor was closer than she remembered.

"Yeah, you do," Rose confirmed softly, her eyes sparkling. "You're a bit rude sometimes. And you eat my toast. But you're all right."

He stood, towering over her, with his hands in his pockets.

"Only all right?" he asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Well," Rose shrugged with a grin. "Can't let that head of yours get any bigger, can I?"

The Doctor's eyes narrowed as he pretended to study her. "Are you flirting with me, Rose Tyler?" he asked after a while, his voice light.

"Nah," she said quietly, reaching for his hand. "You must be imagining things, Doctor."

He smiled down at her, enjoying the feeling of their linked hands.

"Must be," he echoed quietly, pulling her away from the door to stand next to him. As he stood gazing down at her, he wasn't sure what made him do it. It might have been how comfortable the atmosphere was, or the comforting feeling of her fingers in his, or the way she was looking at him, or how he suddenly realised how close they actually were to each other. But something, perhaps maybe instinct itself, made him bend his head towards hers and, with the lightest pressure that he could even imagine, touch her lips with his. He brought his head up again, his lips tingling with the feel of her and his head a little giddy. Well, that had been something he wasn't expecting to do.

Rose took in a breath and opened her eyes, looking up to him inquisitively. He grinned at her, and slipped his hand out of hers.

"See?" he said at last, straightening up to full height. "Told you I was good."

He laughed and moved around her, heading out of the med lab. She stood for a moment or two, stunned, before turning to look at him.

"What was that?" she asked quietly, her hearts still racing.

"Your imagination," the Doctor winked, before setting off with a trot in his step down the corridor. Rose blinked after him before calling out to him.

"Doctor," she called, convinced that he would turn and flash her a grin. But he didn't; he just kept walking. Sometimes, it was too much fun not to wind her up.

"Good night, Rose," he called cheerily, though he didn't turn around. "Sweet dreams."

"Doctor!" Rose yelled after him, but he just laughed, shook his head and rounded the corner. She stood for a moment, a confused frown on her face; had he meant to kiss her? Was he only proving a point? Did he take it seriously? Her head ached with the questions he had flared up and, more importantly, tiredness. Grumbling about his complete lack of manners, Rose made her way back to her room and, for a good few hours, slept soundly.

I-------------------------------------------------------------------------I

It was a few hours later when Rose stumbled sleepily into the kitchen looking for something to drink. Her head was still spinning with the last twenty-four hours' situation, and she wasn't quite sure what was real and what wasn't. So she was quite surprised to find the Doctor already raiding through the kitchen fridge.

"Morning," Rose yawned. He straightened up to look at her and frowned.

"No more mornings on the TARDIS, Rose," he said, waving a finger at her.

"Fine. Hello," she amended, slumping at the breakfast bar. The Doctor took a glass from a shelf and poured some water out of the filter in the fridge. He hesitated before handing it over to Rose.

"Not going to throw this one over me too, are you?" he asked cautiously. Rose sat up and grinned at him.

"Depends if you behave."

"I always behave."

Rose took the glass from him and swallowed.

"Do not," she complained after she had finished.

"Do."

"Don't."

"Do."

"Don't."

The Doctor frowned for a moment. "What am I arguing about, again?" he asked with a grin. Rose snorted with laughter.

"Use your imagination," she replied, laughing and putting the glass back down on the counter. The Doctor's eyebrows rose as he watched her stand up. He made his way slowly around the counter and reached for her hand, tucking it gently within his. Carefully he leaned over to her, keeping his eyes flicking over her face. Rose felt her heart race faster as he went to cup her cheek with his other hand, his dark eyes harbouring something she hadn't seen in him before.

"In that case," he said quietly, edging himself towards her, "I think I'm going to need some practice."

**_Fin _**


End file.
